The Secret War Being Waged Against Renewables

Are utility companies waging a secret war to challenge the growth and popularity of the renewable energy industry? According to one wind energy expert they’re doing just that.

Hermann Oelsner, the president of the African Wind Energy Association, recently spoke to sources saying

“Utilities have lost out to wind farms and they’re losing business to smaller companies. So they’re sabotaging renewable energy projects.”

Oelsner claims that utility companies are engaged in a “propaganda”war, particularly wind farms and more particularly in Europe where manysmall towns are obtaining a chunk of their energy from renewable sources.

Oelsner argues that, with the exception of a little technology, windenergy has not really changed since the days of Europe’s industrialrevolution.

“The basic idea is the same, but the modern machines don’t have a gearbox – they have a generator.”

Despite Oelsner’s claims, the news is full of stories about burgeoning wind farms. We recently reported on the 300 MW Desert Energy Project slated to begin construction in North Carolina. The U.S. also is moving forward with its first the nation’s first offshore wind farm in the Nantucket Sound.

Oelsner, however, is apparently skeptical of the monster wind farms. In speaking about the farm to be built in the Nantucket Sound, Oelsnersaid,

“The higher up you go the more wind you catch, and it’s difficultenough to do maintenance in the machine housing 50m up on land, butoffshore is just a waste of money. The idea is to use the electricitywhere you are situated, and these massively expensive projects areadvanced by people who really want to sabotage renewable energy,” hesaid.

Oelsner says that his country offers the benefits of both wind and solar capabilities.

“There are smaller towns in Germany and Denmark that are 100% windenergy. And in South Africa, we have sunshine here for solar power. Weshould have done this 20 years ago.”

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